Rare Italian Ketubah - Wedding Contract    Livorno,   Arbib/Lopes Family  11 Sivan ...

Rare Italian Ketubah - Wedding Contract    Livorno,   Arbib/Lopes Family  11 Sivan 5567- 17 June 1807

This beautiful illuminated Ketubah-Marriage Contract penned on parchment with black ink originates from Livorno, an important port city on the western coast of Tuscany Italy. It celebrates the marriage of "the Chatan Yosef, son of the rare wealthy renowned glorious community leader Yitzchak (Isaac) Arbib to the Bride Simcha, daughter of the wise scholar  Chacham Binyamin (Benjamin), son of Rabbi Shmuel (Samuel) Lopes". The renowned  Arbib family were originally from Tripoli. Daniel Arbib of Tripoli had two sons. Isaiah Arbib, 1754-1832, left Tripoli in 1778 for Livorno after having served as head of Tripoli's Jewish community. He died in Livorno. His brother Isaque Isache Arbib, 1751-1821 became naturalized in Livorno in 1771. This Ketubah celebrates the wedding of Yosef (Joseph/Guiseppe) 1782-1851, son of Isaac Isache Arbib. The Bride Simcha (Allegra) Lopes 1789-1851 was the daughter of Beniamin Lopes and granddaughter of Samuel Lopes, both were not alive at the time of the wedding. She received an extremely large dowry of 16000. Guiseppe Arbib is listed in the 1809 census as a merchant. One of Guiseppes's sons was Lelio Arbib 1808-1847- the notable 19th century Dante scholar.

The manuscript is decorated with large colourful foliage at the top, fine work around the border, and slightly larger pattern within the borderwork and down the centre of the page. Witness signatures on lower left side are of Latin script but are slightly faded and difficult to decipher.  In the Jewish Register of Livorno weddings, the witnesses are listed as Isache Arbib (Father of the Groom), Pellegrino Affricano, and Meir Svab. Italian official stamp in upper left corner. This Ketubah includes Tenoim -Conditions of the marriage contract, which were often included in Ketubot of the Sephardim (Jews originating from Eastern communities of Western Asia, North Africa, Spain and Portugal] that prohibit the newlywed wife to remarry should her husband pass away. Being that Livorno is a port city and some men were involved in livelihood connected with the sea, there was always the possibility of someone actually out at sea being involved in an accident.  

Livorno was home to Jews from as early as the 1400s. In1593 the Grand Duke of Tuscany welcomed Jews to Livorno, promising refuge from the Inquisition, numerous privileges and freedom of commerce. They did not have to wear identifying signs as others were forced to do, and numerous Jews of Spanish and Portuguese descent joined the growing population in Livorno. The city blossomed and transformed into a flourishing prosperous bustling centre. Jews found their livelihood at all types of trades, from doctors, silversmiths and tradesmen to seafaring sailors. This peaceful existence, with minor ups and downs, continued until the Fascist period commencing in the 1930s.

Thanks and credit to Rosemary Eshel, independent curator, retiree of the Israel Museum and exterior consultant to the National Library of Jerusalem for family genealogy advice, for her numerous additional details of the above and for directing us to Alain Nedjars book.

This marriage is detailed in the book " Ketubbah Registers of the Jewish Nation of Livorno 1626-1890 ". Two volumes  French/English,   Alain Nedjar, Gilles Boulu, Liliane Nedjar, Raphael Attias.

Due to its travels through the ages, with its final destination London via Amsterdam, this Ketuba has slight damage to a couple of edges.

Height 41cm Width 51cm